Elegance in Defeat

For years I’ve been fascinated by propaganda and the techniques it uses to sway opinion throughout history. In the present day, the US State Department currently operates several twitter accounts for the purpose of countering ISIS propaganda, often with appeals to conscience and other attempts to de-glamorize the group by focusing on the atrocities that have been committed all across the middle east.

I personally don’t think this is a particularly effective strategy. Humor and ridicule is one of the greatest weapons at our disposal, especially against cults of personality. World War Two saw the deployment of The Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style— a British re-edit of the groundbreaking film Triumph of the Will , as well as numerous Disney cartoons mocking everything else the Axis held sacred. My goal with this project is to use my knowledge of this historic medium to create meaningful counter propaganda that might just help chip away at the veneer of untouchable power and authority that ISIS tries to project over the internet.

As many know, ISIS has been very vulnerable to US and allied airstrikes over the past year. That has to be worth a chuckle, if you ask me . . . .